Only the trout nosing out to snap at flies broke the flat surface of the water. From my vantage point on the balcony of our highland hideaway the entire scene was of near calm, with the lush green mountains mirrored in the loch.

CT and I had a busy day ahead. In the morning we were going riding, then we needed to return to our lodgings to collect our suitcases and travel to our next holiday destination. Really we should have prioritised our packing, but we left this until later, focussing instead on dressing our best for the horses. CT played the part of a dressage queen complete with black laced cap, while I wore a tiny bright green kilt over my shortest shorts and kept my legs bare as far as my riding boots.

Just before we left we noticed that my sister S had slumped over the kitchen table. She did not respond when we tried to rouse her. I couldn’t find her pulse and for a terrible moment we thought that she was dead. However, there was a weak heartbeat so we left her and set off for our fun day out.

Before heading to the stables we had a lunch date with a bunch of besuited businessmen, including TF. Unfortunately they did not know one another and nobody bothered to initiate introductions, so they ate in silence. Even TPR looked uncomfortable – although later he admitted it was because he had been forced into wearing a suit.

Then a man came to tell me that my sister still hadn’t woken up. He thought that she was probably in a coma. It now dawned on me that we should have taken her into hospital, or at least stayed with her back at the house. If she died and there was an inquest, we would not look good.